During gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy), a portion of the stomach is removed, and the open edges of the stomach tissue are then attached together using multiple rows of surgical staples to form a gastric sleeve. After surgery, and as the body moves, holes or gaps may develop along the stapled edge of the gastric sleeve, thereby allowing gastric fluid to leak into the abdominal cavity, which can lead to life threatening complications. Bacteria from gastric contents can cause a severe infection in the abdominal cavity that may result in sepsis or septic shock, which can eventually lead to multiple organ failure and even death.